[Raellus]

Putin's done a pretty good job of muzzling dissent at home. Even exiles aren't safe from the long arm of the FSB.

I think we need to look at the lessons of history. Appeasement doesn't work. It only encourages aggression. The world basically turned a blind eye to the Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014. Look where we are now.

The EU/UN/NATO were slow to intervene during the Yugoslav Wars (1991-2001). As a result, tens of thousands of civilians were killed. More were displaced. Ethnic cleansing entered the English lexicon.

When NATO finally did intervene- first, by implementing a no-fly zone, later by conducting airstrikes and putting boots on the ground- the Yugoslav Wars were ended.

Unfortunately, the situation in Ukraine is drastically different.

The elephant in the room today is that none of the afore-mentioned bad actors of the not-so-distant past had a nuclear arsenal. This complicates things immensely. How does one stand up to a nuclear-armed bully without triggering Armageddon?

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